Only You

By Renee Lee Fisher

Only You

Brooke

Twenty years ago, I met Elijah on a cruise, and he’s lived in my heart ever since. While we were both with other people aboard the ship, time and circumstance have kept us apart. I wouldn’t trade the instant connection that formed between us for the world, but as I make a trip to his home state of New York, I can’t help but long for some indication that he harbors feelings as deep as my own.

Elijah

My darling Brooke, I thought of the first cords of our song the night we met, and over the past two decades our melody has grown. As a singer/songwriter, music is my life, and the ballad I wrote for you is my confession. “Only You” is climbing the charts, and I pray that when you hear it, you’ll know. Combined with the random lyrics you sent to me, it is all those words I wasn’t brave enough to utter, every sentiment I ached to reveal, it’s all in the song meant for... ONLY YOU.

After all this time can their friendship finally evolve into more? Or did opportunity sail away all those years ago?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Renee Lee Fisher
• Release date: Aug 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005331672

Renee Lee Fisher

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Renee Lee Fisher has the passion to put the pen to the paper and WRITE/CREATE. She is truly a romance junkie who loves to tell stories. She has written a variety of romantic works from novellas to novels. Her belief is that everyone should Indulge in LOVE.The first four of The Heartbeat Series of six planned Romance Novels. ROCK NOTES, LOVE NOTES, MUSIC NOTES, FIRST BEAT are completed and available. FIRST BASS and FIRST TASTE are yet to come.The Crossing Series (The Knot Hole, The Passage and The Muse) will take you on an endearing time travel romance from present day to centuries past.If you love a Suspense Romance - read Derailed. It is a sweet suspense that stands alone.Looking ahead, there will be many more romantic scenarios to come.Renee resides in Eagleville, PA with her loving husband Michael of many years and her cats Leo and Lincoln. She love to travel often and engage in meeting new people who provide her with future inspiration for stories.

Book preview

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PRELUDE

All Aboard

September 2001

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Temperatures may range between the upper sixties and the lower fifties during the month of September in Vancouver. Looking forward to their upcoming cruise through the clear Caribbean waters, and the much warmer weather, Elijah Braum had strong hopes that himself and his girlfriend, Serena Lange, could work on heating up their romance. Lately, their easy-going relationship was struggling and heading swiftly into a downward spiral. As he packed his suitcase, the sun peeked through the bedroom window’s mini blinds and brightened him with hopefulness, and for a brief moment all his doubts about her and him vanished. Elijah’s cheeks warmed with optimism. Living in Vancouver, Elijah had two weeks of free time ahead and he was eager to cruise one week and enjoy another on the back end on the Florida mainland.

* * *

September 2001

South Beach, Miami, United States

The pressure of what to pack and what not … the task at hand was how many bikinis to pack, for Brooke Flores she could never have enough. She took the colorful swimsuits from her dresser drawer to her suitcase, and soon there was an entire layering of string bikinis … next add the cover ups and then all the sandals. Moving the non-slip hangers aside in her closet, Brooke made her final selections of which dresses to pack as the dining selection for cruise attire was slightly upscale along with a formal night. Brooke selected the garment bag that hung toward the back of her closet. There was the formal night selection gown all sealed for protection, a design of her own. A gold, shimmering, thin strapped dress she would unveil for all to see. She loved fashion design, and why not wear something she created?

Kris, though, would probably not notice nor compliment her for her precise detail to the stitching. That was quite the ordeal for her seamstress to work with such a delicate fabric.

Brooke loved fashion and always loved dressing the part of a complete outfit. Brooke pushed her large suitcase closed, but instantly from over packing, it popped open, almost hitting her in the face. Surely, she needed assistance from her boyfriend, Kris Pratt, to squeeze in all her outfits and matching shoes. His very fit, sexy muscles worked magic and closed it tightly. Luckily, it was a spinner suitcase, and the wheels would glide it along swiftly. There was no need for carrying the heavy object.

Brooke chuckled to herself, knowing one thing for certain—no matter how much clothing she brought, Kris would pack more. He was quite the height of men’s fashion. At least they shared that passion.

Soon they would be en route to the Miami cruise port. Living there in Miami was an added perk of a brief, twenty-minute ride to get there; they were fortunate not to have to catch any airplanes for their destination.

Once seated in the taxi, Brooke tossed her head to allow her long, sandy blonde hair to fall back behind her neck. Her fingers rose as she repositioned her gradient-colored sunglasses. There’s more than that to be fixed, she thought to herself as Kris and her relationship was more of a miss lately. Missing excitement, love, and emotion. It was a strong feeling she had mostly from their disconnect. Her main focus at the moment was on the road rather than Kris seated next to her. Perhaps the ship would sprinkle romance upon them in the one week’s time. Recalling the Love Boat television show that brought romance to many, Brooke was hopeful it would work magic for them possibly in a short amount of time.

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CHAPTER ONE

Cruise Deck Introduction

Twenty years ago – September 2001 – Brooke

The excited anticipation of venturing onto a cruise ship sailed through Brooke’s veins and the only thing she hesitated on was not what clothing she had packed but rather her boyfriend accompanying her. Something was off with them, more so on her part. She was in a relationship with Kris, but her heart was not fully invested. They had been together for quite some time, but as the days ticked away so did her initial feelings. For Brooke, love didn’t keep developing and growing … in fact, it was diminishing.

At only nineteen years old, Brooke was already onto her career path. Having enrolled to fashion design school after graduating high school, she had created a large portfolio of her own designs. In just a few years all that education would hopefully pay off and she could dive into her own creations for the fashion world. After the brief vacation at sea, she planned to take the money her parents’ life policy left to her which would enable her to find a space to have a boutique shop for her fashions to come to life. She still had many more classes to finish, but she dreamt of her own place with the clothing labels displaying her last name, Flores, that was also giving the credit to her parents who brought her into this world.

Unfortunately, her life which was full of love was taken from her all too soon. She lost her parents, both to lung cancer at separate times but too early on in her life. Just as she entered junior high, she was placed with her aunt to live and had kept to herself, doodling fashions on a tablet throughout most class hours. Saddened from her family loss, she didn’t engage in making new friends.

Brooke recalled her aunt always trying to be a mom to her and buying her clothing only they were never the right size. Remembering how her mother taught her to sew, she took on altering her own garments. Often, she would make accessories with the leftover fabrics. A headband, or thick sash belt. This was possibly the beginning of her true fashion sense it would seem, but with schooling and devoting all her efforts she pursued it further and it paid off.

* * *

Twenty years ago – September 2001 – Elijah

Elijah tapped his hand to his empty desktop as he created tunes in his mind. Randomly writing his thoughts to paper, it was the start of his passion to songwriting. He followed in the footsteps of his parents—his mom a vocalist who turned to mother and housewife, and his father a music producer of many soundtracks for some movies. In Vancouver, his father was well known. As for Elijah, he was often referred to as his father’s little boy, not called by his name.

His hopes were to go to the United States and not just to vacation but stay and make a name for himself. Often, he wrote NYC or New York City over and over on his song pages. Maybe one day he would follow through on his relocation there and with his dreams.

One day, Elijah, if you follow me close enough you, too, may find a niche in the music business, his dad often commented.

Little did his father know it was already a passion of Elijah’s.

Dad, if only you knew that I am writing songs weekly and will keep doing so, Elijah thought to himself. He never wanted to show his father his works in progress, afraid of the rejection. Instead, he created his own stockpile of many pieces that needed another verse or a chorus.

Besides taking on more courses in music to learn all he could, Elijah already was entering songwriting jingles for companies seeking marketing with songs. Not that he wanted to be well known for a rhyming tune in connection with a cake mix commercial or another brand of iced tea, it was money made for him to put toward a larger scale of songwriting and satisfaction.

Elijah had a good voice but only shared it with his mother. When he heard her singing, he would join in but halt if his father came near. Playfully, he and his mom became a duet in their kitchen.

His mother and father had a strong marriage, supportive of one another, but for some reason Elijah felt he couldn’t measure up. He hoped one day he would shine and produce an amazing soundtrack or song heard everywhere and raved about. Then, he would not be in his father’s shadow but in the forefront, and he knew it would make his parents very proud.

Currently, they weren’t too thrilled with him and his troubles with Serena. They constantly told him, Elijah, if you are not completely happy and in love with this girl, then you are far too young to stay with her. You will know when the right girl comes along.

He had to agree with them for the most part as Serena and him butted heads on almost every topic lately. Sexually, they seemed fine because there was no need to talk too much during sex. Most often afterwards they would argue about something.

Elijah blew out a deep breath. His strive and ambition were being halted by Serena as well. She was always so consumed in herself that he couldn’t even share anything he was working on with her.

Enough on him and Serena not being very compatible … it was obvious, but what needed to be done going forward would be what the outcome was at sea on their upcoming planned vacation.

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CHAPTER TWO

Sailing Away to Love

Curious as to what triggered her latest pissy mood, Elijah ran his hand through his loose, dark strands of hair and let out a deep sigh. He had hoped they would sail off to paradise with rich, vibrant sunsets and rekindle their love.

Serena remained huffy and quiet, yet her feet loudly stomped with each step down on the wooden deck like a child not given their way as she walked away from Elijah.

It’d been mere hours since they embarked on the cruise ship and their relationship didn’t seem to be getting any better. Elijah had hoped the cruise would help, but it only seemed to be making matters worse. Whether on land or floating at sea, no notable change was occurring, only the rise of the tension between them. Inhaling the fresh ocean air, Elijah closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself. He recalled as a child the sea air that filled his grandparents’ home, which was located by the water. Elijah loved watching the waves that were sometimes almost close enough to touch. Some nights the moonlight shone over the sea, and he could look out in the darkness and still see the rise and fall of the seawater.

It wasn’t a fascination of the water itself for him but at a young age it was soothing, and he would put tunes in his head to the flow of the water. Long after, when was a teenager, his parents sold the beachside home after his grandmother passed away. It hurt Elijah to not feel that rhythm again, and he was feeling that lately his songwriting was failing as he lacked inspiration with Serena and her now attempting to ruin the cruise for him with her attitude. Listening closely to the sound of the sea crashing at the ship’s side, Elijah thought to himself, and it brought him a temporary comfort … that was until a bright object hit his face and instantly distracted his brief, calming meditation.

Looking to the left, he saw a colorful beach ball floating away on the deck. When he glanced around to see where it came from, the first thing he noticed was a pair of beautiful, blue eyes. Underneath them were a perfect nose and a mouth with a frown displayed. Her delicate hands scrambled to catch the ball that kept bouncing from her delicate grip. There was something in her eyes that called to him the same way they had the first time he saw her on the ship.

Oh, I’m so sorry, came her sweet voice. Things seem to be slipping out of my hand a lot these days. She chuckled nervously.

Elijah was immediately captivated by her. She was dressed casually in a pretty, cream-colored, chiffon sundress. She looked enchanting … no, she was stunning. Surprised by the train of his thoughts, and studying her body, Elijah bent to pick the ball up.

I believe this is yours. His arms extended outward.

She moved forward quickly and reached out to take the ball from his grasp. Their hands touched slightly in the pass off of the ball, and a strange sensation flooded Elijah’s body as their eyes met again. Suddenly, a body brushed past Elijah, giving him a slight push to the left. That movement shifted their brief hold, and they both lost their grip around the ball as its weightlessness allowed it to fly through the air and across the deck area. It wound up being held within the ship’s railing.

Oh, I’m so sorry. Elijah rushed to face her. It’s my fault, I’m so sorry!

It started small, but soon a big smile spread across her face, and she laughed heartily. The sound was warm and joyous. Gasping, she pointed to the pool. It’s actually floating! Look, it made its own way to a safe place in the pool.

What? Elijah turned back from the sea view and there was the colorful ball bobbing in the pool with many playful hands eager to reach it.

Oh, heavens, look what I started with my blow-up ball! She chuckled, pressing her hands to cover her mouth to suppress the growing laughter.

Her laughter was contagious, and soon Elijah was smiling, watching the ball float across the pool water, bringing smiles and playfulness to many.

Elijah shrugged. Glad it didn’t end up in the ocean. There it would be harmful to the fish.

True. They could try to eat it, and it would not be tasteful at all.

The two chuckled together again. Out of the corner of his eye, he risked a glance at her. Her blonde hair was styled into a long, loose braid. He felt that she was very aware of his gaze, as he noticed her turn to him with a smile on her face.

I’m sorry for intruding on your private time, she said softly.

The deck was full of cruisers enjoying themselves, but for the moment it felt as if it was only her and him.

Elijah felt the embarrassing heat of a blush across his cheeks. It’s all right … I’m just glad that we both survived the escape of the dangerous beach ball. Laughter filled his belly.

After joining him in laughing, she broke the ice with her introduction.

I’m not just a beach ball professional by nature … my name is Brooke, Brooke Flores. What’s your name?

Elijah Braum.

The wind blew ominously as they shook hands, and Elijah knew something was stirring besides the air. This girl was so vibrant and about to become unforgettable. The good news for him on the cruise was that Brooke had gotten his attention. The bad news? Serena was not getting more of that now. The best news going forward would be his constant focus on catching more moments with Brooke.

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CHAPTER THREE

Main Deck Dispute

Brooke sighed deeply before she abruptly got up from the foldable, silver metal seat that was situated around a round table in an area where cruisers could enjoy their fruity, tropical drinks or abundance of food. Many vacationers seemed to choose the daytime to be on the pool deck area where music sounded. Tunes carried through the sea air, and there was no one nearby to be bothered if the volume was raised. There was plenty of seating indoors, too, but without the warmth of the sun’s rays nor the smell of the sea air. Her sheer, black and